The Florida Department of Highway Safety &
Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) is committed to protecting the integrity
of the identity documents issued by the agency. In order
to prevent the issuance of driver licenses and identification
cards to people who are not eligible to receive these documents,
the DHSMV has enacted stringent requirements relating to
the documents that must be presented in order for a customer
to prove his/her identity, residency, and citizenship or
lawful presence in the United States. We also train our
staff to recognize counterfeit and/or fraudulent identity
documents. Additionally, we employ a staff of analysts who
investigate allegations of driver license fraud.

What is driver
license fraud? Driver license fraud includes the
use of another person’s identity, the submission of counterfeit
identity documents, and all other activities intended to
obtain a driver license or identification card by a person
or for a person who is not eligible for issuance of such
a document.

Examples:
Presentation of counterfeit immigration documents (such
as an I-94 or "green card") by an undocumented
alien who is not eligible for a Florida driver license
or identification card.

Presentation of a counterfeit birth certificate or social
security card created on a personal computer by scanning
a legitimate document and printing it out on a color printer
after changing the identity information.

Presentation of a legitimate birth certificate belonging
to another person.

Driver license fraud is a crime. Anyone suspected of committing
driver license fraud may be charged with any of a number
of violations of state and/or federal law, including, but
not limited to the following:

Section 322.212, Florida Statutes

Section 322.27 (1)(d), Florida Statutes

Section 322.32, Florida Statutes

Section 322.33, Florida Statutes

Although making and using fake ID’s are a crime, it is
not considered driver license or identification card fraud
until such documents are used to obtain a driver license
or identification card.

Ticket fraud is not
driver license fraud. If you discover that someone
else used your identity when they received a citation, and
there is a conviction and/or license suspension on your
driving record for an offense that you did not commit, this
is not driver license fraud. The DHSMV cannot remove a fraudulent
citation from your driving record without the authorization
of the court that submitted the conviction, and you must
contact the court to prove to them that you were not the
person cited. However, the DHSMV will provide you with information
about the citation and contact information for the court
to help you begin this process.

How can I report driver license
fraud? In an effort to make it easier for concerned
citizens and employees to assist our Analysts in thwarting
driver license fraud, the DHSMV has set up an e-mail address
for the reporting of suspected criminal activity. Customers
and employees of the DHSMV can e-mail request for a fraud
investigation to: Fraud@flhsmv.gov
to report fraud directly to the Fraud Section.
Fraudulent activity also may be reported by phone to (850)
617-2405. When reporting suspected driver license fraud,
please try to include the victim's name, date of birth,
driver license or identification card number, social security
number, and contact information. If you are not the victim,
please include your contact information. Also, any information
about the suspect or the circumstances surrounding the fraud
should be provided. You can access the “Fraud Investigation
Request” form @ http://www.flhsmv.gov/72068.pdf.

FOR VICTIMS OF IDENTITY
THEFT:

The theft of your identity may not involve driver license
fraud, but the DHSMV wants to help you in any way that we
can. First, contact your local law enforcement agency and
make a police report. This is the first step to getting
help from many state and federal agencies.

If you are the victim of identity fraud, and the thief
has used your driver license or identification card number,
please note that consumers release their driver license
and identification card numbers to banks, stores, check
verification companies, and dozens of other merchants every
day.

Can I change the number on my driver license or
identification card? No, unless there is a name change.
The driver license/identification card number is based on
your name, date of birth and gender. In the event you have
a name change that causes your license or ID card
number to change, please be sure to share the new number
with your car insurance agent, your bank, and other financial
institutions that use that number to identify you.

You may wish to have a “Verify ID Flag”
placed on your driver record. Listed below are some ways
this flag can be helpful in preventing this person from
continuing to pretend to be you.

Law enforcement will know that someone may be using
your identity. The officer should require two or more
pieces of identification from the person. However, if
you are stopped by law enforcement, you too will be required
to produce the pieces of identification.

All of Florida's driver licensing agents will know that
someone may be using your identity. If someone tries to
get a driver license or ID card in your name, our agents
will require two or more pieces of identification before
being issued. Again, you too must provide two pieces of
identification.

When a court sends information to place on your record,
we will mail you a letter providing you with the court’s
information.

How to protect yourself from
Identity Theft:

Citizens who take advantage of the DHSMV automated
renewal options, including renewal by phone, mail and
the internet, are reminded to shred or otherwise destroy
their old licenses and identification cards when they
receive the replacement license or card by mail. This
will prevent identity thieves from stealing your personal
information.

Purchase a copy of your driving record annually to see
if the DHSMV shows tickets that were not issued to you
just as you would review your credit report for fraudulent
activity.

Do not leave mail in your mailbox overnight, and stop
your mail delivery if you are going to be away from home.

Do not carry extra credit cards, your Social Security
card, passport or birth certificate except when absolutely
necessary. Install a locked mailbox at your residence
or use a post office box to reduce the chance of mail
theft.

Pick up new checks at your bank.

Do not leave paid bills in your mailbox for the postal
carrier to pick up.

Ask your financial institutions to add extra security
protection to your account. Most will allow you to use
an additional code when accessing your account.

Protect your Social Security Number at all costs. Do
not let merchants write your SSN on your checks. Request
merchants to use other forms of identification.

Never allow credit card numbers to be written on your
checks.

Do not use your birth date or mother’s maiden name as
PIN numbers or passwords.

Remove your name from the marketing lists of the three
credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans
Union. This will reduce the number of pre approved credit
offers you receive in the mail.

Shred all paperwork with financial and personal information
on it before throwing it in the garbage.

What to do if you are a victim of Identity Theft

Immediately call the fraud units of the three credit
reporting companies: Experian, Equifax and Trans Union.
Ask that your file be flagged with a fraud alert.

Contact all creditors immediately with whom your name
has been used fraudulently by phone and in writing. The
Federal Trade Commission provides a uniform affidavit
form that most creditors accept.

Identity theft links and contacts:

AnnualCreditReport.comhttp://www.annualcreditreport.com/
This central site allows you to request a free credit file
disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every
12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting
companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Driver
Privacy Protection Act
Florida residents have the right to protect personal information
in their driver license and motor vehicle records from disclosure.
A number of exceptions were specified by law; those individuals/businesses
will continue to have access to the data.